PADDY Ryan says last year’s spring tour episode was a bit of a beat-up but admits there’ll be no love lost when the Waratahs and Brumbies face off for a spot in the Super Rugby final.

Ryan will come off the bench in Saturday night’s semi-final against the Brumbies in Sydney, a match that is being touted as the biggest Australian rugby derby in 12 years.

The two sides met in the playoffs way back in 2002 with the Brumbies thumping the Waratahs 51-10 in Sydney.

Erasing that painful memory from the minds of Waratahs fans will provide motivation for NSW while there’s also been plenty of talk about the ill-feeling between the two sides stemming back to the Wallabies’ 2013 spring tour.

But Ryan believes that incident - where he was one of seven Wallabies handed a one-match suspension following a night out in Dublin - has been put to bed.

“To be honest that has been blown a bit out of proportion,” Ryan said in a live chat with foxsports.com.au

“While it was a tough time personally and for everyone involved I think that Aussie rugby has been better for it.”

Scott Sio insists beating the Waratahs will be a tough task
2:00

Brumbies prop Scott Sio has played down the idea his side preferred a shot at the Waratahs instead of the Crusaders in this weekend's semi-finals, insisting they will be forced to earn their place in the finals by a rampant Waratahs outfit.

Fox Sports

23 Jul 2014

Sport/Rugby Union/Super 15

Ryan said the incident had helped him improve both on and off the field, but said this weekend’s clash would still have plenty of feeling.

“I think that my rugby has been better for it,” he said. “However there’s no one I’d rather be playing this weekend.”

Asked about what the Waratahs could expect from coach Michael Cheika in his pre-match message, Ryan said it was very much a lottery.

Famous for his “Poker Face” drawing and use of a disparaging tweet from a former Brumbies assistant, Cheika has mixed things up throughout the year.

Ryan said he’d given up guessing what ploy Cheika might use next.

“It’s the unknown,” Ryan responded when asked to describe a typical Cheika speech.

“Every time you go in suspecting something he produces something totally different. The best way to prepare for Cheik’s pre-game talk is to expect the unexpected.

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